Why do people hate Mayweather and let McGregor get away with ‘it’?

Arrogance personified. Unwavering confidence. Unrivalled self-belief. Either headliner to the Mayweather-McGregor show can be characterised in such description.

But, it is the Irishman who is allowed to display these traits and be adored; adored to the extent that the press conferences so far between the two could have been in Dublin. The UFC fighter’s popularity is so great that he’s even won rapper Drake over, as the 28-year-old declared Toronto was ‘his city today’.

Despite the Irishman’s following, it would appear boxing fans are still rooting for a Money win. The poster boy of the UFC crossing over to a sport where he has not even fought at amateur level, and then winning this fight would put major question marks over boxing if defeat is to happen for the greatest pound-for-pound fighter the sport has ever seen.

Boxing needs Mayweather to win this fight.

However, Money still receives the boos; still receives the media coverage which paints him as the villain in the fight. They’re both money grabbing, loud talking personalities; both as arrogant and childish as one another; so why does Mayweather get all the stick?

Mayweather’s 90-day prison sentence for his physical abuse on ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris, does not exactly represent Floyd as a ‘nice man’. His arrogance and self-assurance therefore can not be viewed in a humorous or playful way, but a genuine and violent undertone constantly clouding his every word.

And, this is not an isolated incident; it’s just part of a multiple list. Domestic violence recorded against him both in 2002 and 2004, and the beating up of a bouncer in 2005; Floyd is that violent fighter both in the ring, and outside it. Unforgivable.

When in the ring, that brutish side of Mayweather was on full show during the Victor Ortiz fight. A knockout delivered by Money that was so disrespectful to the sport, and then followed up with an interview with Larry Merchant that makes it hard to forgive such an unlikeable character.

The boxing world has seen dark days; but, it has forgiven its fighters. Money has had too many slip ups, and given too many reasons to be disliked.

This is why his arrogance and unwavered confidence is not tolerated or humoured like McGregor’s; perhaps a large portion of the boxing world will actually want UFC to stick it on the greatest pound-for-pound boxer the sport has ever seen…